Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will allocate or approve, increases in the funding available to the local authorities for disabled persons' grants and essential repair grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10472/09]

Michael Finneran (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability are funded by 80% recoupment available from my Department together with a 20% contribution from the resources of the local authority. In the case of the old Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes, these were funded by 67% recoupment available from my Department together with a 33% contribution from the resources of the local authority.

As regards funding of the Schemes in 2009, my Department has been in regular contact with all local authorities on a range of relevant issues including the levels of activity experienced under the schemes in 2008, the levels of claims on hand, the degree to which prioritisation of applications has taken place and the anticipated levels of activity in 2009.

I am conscious of the need for local authorities to be able to deploy available resources as early as possible in order to maximise their impact for households availing of the schemes. Therefore, local authorities will be notified of their capital allocations in respect of the Housing Adaptation Grant Schemes for Older People and People with a Disability, immediately following the publication of the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2009.